these years

[diamondcutter]

Context:
Dear classmates. I am glad to give you a talk. My topic today is Henan customs. Firstly, people here are used to having noodles for meals. If you travel to the capital city, Zhengzhou, you are expected to have a large bowl of Huiman. Secondly, a new couple can visit the woman's parents until three days after they get married. Of course, some gifts are necessary. Thirdly, it's unlucky to take medicine during the spring festival. It means you will be sick for the whole year. What's more, since Henan’s the birthplace of Tai Chi. It's common to see people practicing Tai Chi in the park in the morning. Lastly, people go to flower shows in Luoyang and Kaifeng these years. It has become a new costume during the flower seasons. Welcome to Henan and experience more culture and customs in person.

Source: The first English simulation test paper of Zhengzhou city for Senior High School Entrance Exams, 2022, Henan province

Lastly, people go to flower shows in Luoyang and Kaifeng these years.

In the sentence above, I think “these years” should be left out because this phrase is used with the present perfect tense. What do you say?

 

[emsr2d2]

Context:

Dear classmates. I am glad to be here to give you a this talk. My topic today is Henan customs.

Firstly, people here are used to having eating noodles. for meals. If you travel to the capital city, Zhengzhou, you are expected to have a large bowl of Huiman.

Secondly, a new couple can visit the woman's wife's parents until three days after they get married. Are they not allowed to visit the wife's parents ever again?

Of course, some gifts are necessary. This is ambiguous. Does the couple give gifts to the wife's parents or do the parents give gifts to the newlyweds?

Thirdly, it's unlucky to take medicine during the spring festival. Superstitious people believe that it means you will be sick for the whole year.

What's more, Since Henan’s the birthplace of Tai Chi, it's common to see people practicing Tai Chi in the park in the morning. This doesn't seem to be connected to the previous custom so I don't know why this doesn't start with "Fourthly".

Lastly, people go to flower shows in Luoyang and Kaifeng these years days. It has become a new costume custom during the flower seasons.

We would love to welcome you to Henan and so you can experience more culture and customs in person.

Source: The first English simulation test paper of Zhengzhou city for Senior High School Entrance Exams, 2022, Henan province

"Lastly, people go to flower shows in Luoyang and Kaifeng these years."

In the sentence above, I think “these years” should be left out because this phrase is used with the present perfect tense. What do you say?

I know you didn't write the piece yourself but I have made all the necessary corrections so that you can see how poorly it was written. Note my corrections and comments.
In answer to your main question, "these years" isn't natural with any tense. We just don't use it.

 

[teechar]

"these years" isn't natural with any tense. We just don't use it.

Why?!
Take a look at the results in the link below.

Improve Your Writing skills

Improve your writing skills, learn from professional writers.

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[5jj]

Look through those quotations again. We do not use 'these years' in the sense that we use use 'these days'.

 

[teechar]

Of course, we don't, but in itself, "these years" is not wrong!

 

[diamondcutter]

Thank your so much, Emsr2d2 for you detailed corrections.

Let me answer your questions first.

1. Are they not allowed to visit the wife's parents ever again?
Yes, they are. They are just not allowed to visit the wife's parents in the two days after the wedding. The original sentence is misleading.

2. This is ambiguous. Does the couple give gifts to the wife's parents or do the parents give gifts to the newlyweds?
The couple give gifts to the wife's parents.

3. This doesn't seem to be connected to the previous custom so I don't know why this doesn't start with "Fourthly".
I also think the test maker made a mistake here. It should start with "Fourthly".

I have one more question about this sentence.

"Firstly, people here are used to eating noodles."

Should this sentence be changed like this?

"Firstly, people here like eating noodles."

I think the structure "be used to doing something" means "don't find something strange, unbearable or something any more". Is my understanding correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

Of course, we don't, but in itself, "these years" is not wrong!

I didn't mean to suggest that those two words never appear together. Of course they do. However, as 5jj said, we don't use them in the same way as "these days". I was answering your question solely in the context of the original sentence.

 

[diamondcutter]

"These years" is always used with "all" as "all these years". Am I right?

 

[emsr2d2]

1. Are they not allowed to visit the wife's parents ever again?
Yes, they are. They are just not allowed to visit the wife's parents in the two days after the wedding. The original sentence is misleading.
It's not just misleading. It's completely wrong with the use of "can" with "until". It should say "They are not allowed to visit the wife's parents until at least three days after the wedding".

2. This is ambiguous. Does the couple give gifts to the wife's parents or do the parents give gifts to the newlyweds?
The couple give gifts to the wife's parents.
Thank you for clearing up the ambiguity.

3. This doesn't seem to be connected to the previous custom so I don't know why this doesn't start with "Fourthly".
I also think the test maker made a mistake here. It should start with "Fourthly".


I have one more question about this sentence.

"Firstly, people here are used to eating noodles."

Should this sentence be changed like to this?

"Firstly, people here like eating noodles."

I think the structure "be used to doing something" means "don't to not find something strange, unbearable or something anymore". Is my understanding correct?

Note my comments to the first three points above. With regard to your last question, your understanding is broadly correct. However, changing "are used to" to "like" completely changes the meaning of the sentence.

 

[emsr2d2]

"These years" is always used with "all" as "all these years". Am I right?

No. The second example in your earlier link doesn't include "all" and it's perfectly correct.

 

[diamondcutter]

In fact, eating noodles is the people's long-standing eating habit in Henan province. I think the author meant to say that but he/she used the wrong structure. In this case, is my version "Firstly, people here like eating noodles." correct?

 

[teechar]

I didn't mean to suggest that those two words never appear together. Of course they do. However, as 5jj said, we don't use them in the same way as "these days". I was answering your question solely in the context of the original sentence.

OK, and thank you for clarifying that. I think it's important for learners.

 

[emsr2d2]

In fact, eating noodles is the people's long-standing eating habit in Henan province. I think the author meant to say that but he/she used the wrong structure. In this case, is my version "Firstly, people here like eating noodles." correct?

I don't want to sound like I'm stereotyping people in China, is eating noodles really a custom that's particularly connected to Henan province? I thought noodles were a staple of most people's diet in China (and other parts of the Far East).

 

[diamondcutter]

In China, northern Chinese mainly eat food made from wheat and noodles are one of the most common types, but for the southern Chinese, rice is their staple. When talking about Henanese staple, people will think of noodles first.
Do you think the author should say "people here like eating noodles" instead of "people here are used to eating noodles"?

 

[diamondcutter]

The original sentence in #1:
A new couple can visit the wife's parents until three days after they get married.

This sentence means the new couple can only visit the wife’s parents on the fourth day after their wedding and it’s the only day when they can visit the wife’s parents and after that they can’t visit the old couple anymore. Is my understanding correct?

 

[emsr2d2]

No. As written, it means they can visit the parents on day 1 after the wedding, on day 2 after the wedding and on day 3 after the wedding, but never again.
It might be easier if we use actual days of the week, rather than "day 3".

My friends John and Helen got married on Saturday. They can visit Helen's parents until Tuesday. (They can visit on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday but not after that.)

I think you're misunderstanding the use of "until" with a positive verb rather than a negative one.

You can visit your parents until Friday. (You can visit them today (Tuesday), Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. You can go anytime between now and Friday, and stay for any length of time as long as you're not still there on Saturday.)

You can't visit your parents until Friday. (You cannot visit them today, Wednesday or Thursday, but on Friday it's OK to go and see them.)